Dhaka ready to welcome Hillary, Pranab


Dhaka, May 5 Bangladesh is all set to welcome US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in a coincided trip amid high hopes of bringing ties to a new height, especially with the world's most powerful nation.

The enthusiasm is mainly centred around Clinton's visit as she is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon amid tight security on a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral issues with Bangladesh.

While Mukherjee is coming to chiefly attend the concluding session of Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebration, contentious issues with the mighty neighbour are expected to be discussed during his scheduled meetings with forign minister Dipu Moni and prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The influential Indian minister, who is perceived to be the second man in the Indian government, is scheduled to arrive on Saturday night.

Talks during Clinton's visit would focus on bilateral issues including trade and investment and duty-free access of Bangladeshi goods, mainly its garment products, into the US market.

For Mukherjee, it is expected that Bangladesh will raise the issue of implementation of a joint statement signed during the Indian prime minister's last year's visit to Dhaka.

CLINTON VISIT

Dipu Moni will receive Clinton as she is scheduled to land at 4:10 pm at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The foreign ministers will have their formal talks in the afternoon followed by a joint press briefing.

They are expected to sign a declaration on Bangladesh-US Partnership Cooperation. The US has similar partnership deals with India and China to hold regular dialogue.

Clinton will also meet prime minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia.

She will also meet Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus and Brac chairman Fazle Hasan Abed and members of the civil society.

Bangladesh Interest

Bangladesh will vigorously push for duty-free market access of its garment products to the US market as exporters say the scope will help Bangladesh boost its exports amid stiff competition with Pakistan, India and China.

Being a least developed country, Bangladesh has the legitimate right to get duty-free access to all rich countries including the US, officials say. But the US has remained reluctant for long to award this facility to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will also seek enlistment for fund from Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is an independent US Government foreign aid agency operating in many countries including the largest Muslim-majority nation Indonesia and many other African nations.

Bangladesh will also repeat its demand for extradition of Bangabandhu killer Rashed Chowdhury who lives in the US.

US Interest

In Muslim-majority Bangladesh the US has strategic interests.

The importance of Bangladesh increased significantly after the March verdict by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) that awarded Bangladesh a vast area in the Bay of Bengal, settling a long-pending dispute with Myanmar over maritime boundary.

Bangladesh is also a partner of all four global initiatives of president Barack Obama - global food security, global health, climate change and engagement with Muslim country.

The other US interests here include protection and promotion of US investment, better security ties and opportunity for more exports.

The US also wants to protect its investment in Bangladesh.
US company ConocoPhilips is currently exploring gas and oil at blocks 10 and 11 in the Bay of Bengal and seeking another six blocks for exploration.

Bangladesh and US had its first ever security dialogue in April to continue cooperation in the area.
The US is a partner of Bangladesh for their counterterrorism efforts while Bangladesh plays a vital role in the UN-backed peacekeeping mission.

Pranab's visit

Foreign ministry officials said the Indian finance minister is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka from Manila on a two-day official visit around 9pm on Saturday. Dipu Moni will welcome him at the airport.

Mukherjee would join Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebration's concluding session. He is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence, the Ganabhaban, on Sunday noon.

Mukherjee will also pay courtesy visits to the BNP chief Khaleda Zia and foreign minister Dipu Moni who will travel to New Delhi on May 7 to attend the first joint consultative commission meeting formed under a framework agreement.
The agreement was signed during the visit of Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in September.

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